I'd hope it's just a dream
by LudFelic
Summary: I'm dreaming right? It's not happening, right? He'd never die trying to protect me, he wouldn't... Italy realizes that sometimes dreams are not always fake and fun, sometimes they can be a real as reality...


I'd hope it was just a dream…

Black storm clouds covered the bright sun of what was supposed to be a great 90 degree summer day. Loud strikes of thunder along with hard smashing rain falling against my window woke me up. My brother, Lovino, with his caramel colored hair and eyes, knocked on my door with his black suit and tie on he only wears on important occasions. He looked almost dead inside but that's how he usually looked, that or either mad… but his face looked more stricken with grief and sadness. I wonder what his deal is.

"Brother, why do you look… so sad?"

As I asked him, I pulled the bright red and green covers off of my legs and swung them off the edge of the bed. Lovino then walked up to my bed and sat down on the corner. His footsteps seemed heavy then what they usually sound like. The only reason I'd say this is because our dark wood floors usually don't creak, or creak as badly when you walk on them.

"Feliciano, you out of all the people should know what's going on today…"

He then tugged on my curl then sat up from the bed. He then gestured to my dresser and told me my special occasion suit and tie were on it. He then began to walk out of my room.

"Come on Feli, this is something we can't be late to."

"Oh ya, sure. Thanks brother."

He waved his hand and placed it in his pocket as he walked down the hallway and left into the kitchen… I wonder what's going on today. I hope it's something exciting. I sat up from bed only wearing my yellow underwear and looked at my suit on the top of my light colored wood dresser. It was my all black suit… strange, I only wear this to things like… wait, hold on here, I wasn't told that I was… I then quickly took my pants and shirt off the hanger and slipped both on. I buttoned my pants and then buttoned my shirt and tucked it into my pants, throwing on my over coat and slipping my tie through the collar. I tied it as I went out my door and into the kitchen where Lovino was sitting on one of the bar stools. A faint strike of lightning lit through the opened curtains though out the room. Lovino spun in the chair and stopped when he faced me. He had a bundle of white lilies lying on his lap and there were more on the countertop near him. There were even more in the sink and over by the fridge, but in groups of two to three.

This is more than strange. Is Ludwig in charge of what is going on? I mean only he would choose these flowers, they are his favorites after all. I finished tying my tie and buttoned the bottom two buttons on my jacket.

"Brother, what's Ludwig up to with all these flowers?'

"Oh, you'll see when we get there."

"Okay."

Lovino stood up from his chair and walked over to me handing me the bundle of flowers and laid his hand on my shoulder.

"Let's get a move on. The rain has lightened up a bit, but the umbrellas are still going to be in the car just in case if it starts raining worse after."

He opened the door and we walked out on the front porch, still covered by the roof.

"Feli, I'll go get the car and bring it to the front."

"Oh, alright."

He pulled our car keys out from his left coat pocket and walked down the front path onto the driveway, hidden by the corner of the house. I then heard the car starting up and the wet rubber noise as the car went down the driveway. He pulled up against the sidewalk and parked the car. I then went out and opened the car door, hoping in. I set the flowers on my lap and we then both buckled up. We were off. Every turn, every stop, I knew where we were headed and I didn't like the feeling I was getting… what could possibly be at the cemetery that I didn't know about? I never heard of any of this so… we then pulled into the church parking lot right next to the cemetery and parked the car. I looked out the window and just kept feeling that this was something that I didn't want to go to, I mean who ever wants to go to a creepy cemetery and a huge Spanish church when it's all dark and raining? I don't. I then felt a nudge against my left shoulder and looked over to see a few tears rolling down brother's face.

"Whatever you do, just don't tell that bastard Antonio that I was crying…"

"Ya, sure. I won't tell him."

Lovino turned the car off and we both unbuckled.

"Shall we head inside?"

"Okay…"

I grabbed the flowers and opened the car door, stepped out and shut it behind me. Brother came up from behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder again. We then walked up the huge stairs and through the large wooden doors together. All the nations were gathered in the large meeting hall and I instantly began to look for the one face I needed to see because once we walked in, I knew it was someone's funeral, but whose? Through the whole crowd, I looked and looked, and I couldn't find him. I then began to walk passed the isles in search for Ludwig… I made it to the front of the church, where the open casket laid and beheld, the face I was looking for….my flowers fell from my hands and quickly covered my face as I fell to my knees. The tears fell as fast as I did. His flag and lilies covered the lower half of his body as he lay there in his military uniform. Next to his casket, a painting of him and I that I gave to him after our perfect day on the beach…

I could hear the crowd start to whisper and chatter as I knew they were looking at me. I felt a hand on both of my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry brother, I thought you were just handling it better than I was… I thought you knew."

"Feliciano, please forgive us, we thought…"

I then looked to my right to figure out who this new voice was, "Honda…"

"Hai, please forgive us… him."

"Please, just tell me one thing, was his death meaningful?"

I could then hear the angered sneer of my brother, "Well how 'bout you look up and find out."

"Lovino!" Honda said in a quiet yelling matter.

"I'm just saying why should we have to tell him?" brother was quietly yelling as well.

I finally had the strength to get back up and get a better look at everything. "So I will."

My face still pointed at the ground and my feet and legs were more shaky then they have ever been. Tears fell from my face. I then took a better look at Ludwig. I heard Lovino and Honda sit down and I then began to stare at Ludwig. My hands placed themselves on the edge of the coffin. Ludwig, all dressed in his military captain uniform, with his slicked back blonde hair, his hands clasped together over his uniform hat and lilies, all the lilies…. My right hand, just as it's used to, bushed its fingers though his hair as tears fell onto his face and slowly rolled off. my hand then placed itself on his cold cheek. He's so pale… I then looked up and saw his last moments written above him.

" _Ludwig Belischmidt, a man everyone either loved or dealt with, he will be remembered for everything he fought for. He died fighting for the only person in his world that he truly cared for and did just that. His bravery and strength led him far and wide but not enough to keep him here with all of us. All of us here will miss you, especially the one you tried so hard to protect. But in the end, you were still able to keep him safe and in the protection of everyone here. We love you and will deeply miss you, our dear friend."_

I fell to my knees once more, crying worse than I have ever done in my entire life. "He died trying to protect a weakling like me? He'd never let himself die… never let himself get killed. Never! Not like this…. He wouldn't…."

Then, a loud bang rang through the entire church as a pain shot through my chest. My hands covered my chest quickly as I turned around to see Gilbert with a smoking gun in his hand. Silence then another shot came from behind me and Gilbert fell to the floor. I slowly turned back around to see Honda in front of me with a small smoking gun going back in his hidden inside pocket.

I looked down at my hands and saw nothing but dark blood. I lay on the ground and was the swarmed by people. Everyone repeating over and over that I shouldn't move and help was on the way. The sounds began to fade as I stared up at the large domed ceiling and began to see a bright light. A figure then began to emerge from the light. It-it's Ludwig. He was in a pure white suit and began to reach out for me. I began to reach out to him.

"Ludwig."

"Come on Feliciano, you need to wake up."

"What?"

The second our hands met, all the light disappeared and so did all the surroundings. But I continued to hear Ludwig's voice. My body was shaking and all I could hear was Ludwig. Then finally, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and then a face began to appear, one that I thought I'd never see again. His hair covered his face and worry was all that I saw across it.

"Feliciano! Wake up!"

"Lud?"  
I could feel the cold tears that were falling at the church still going down my face. No they were never falling.

"Y-you're alive…"

I placed both of my hands on his warm cheeks and Ludwig wiped away the tears on the sides of my face. I then quickly wrapped my armed around him and began to cry even more, not because I was sad, but because I was happy. He then wrapped one arm around me and hugged me.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it… I knew you'd never leave me."

"Hey, hey, you're fine. It's alright. You're okay. I'm right here."

I loosened my grip and looked into Ludwig's blue eyes, "You need to promise me something."

"Ya, and what is that?"

"Promise that you'll never die fighting for someone like me."

"I'll fight for you but I'd never let myself die doing it because if I died, no one could then truly protect you."

He then gave me a smile and I was then finally able to smile as well.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem, anything for someone important to me. Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't die before I can finish protecting you."

I then happily nodded, "Yes sir."

"Great."

We then both went back to bed.

But sadly I continued to have the same dream for years on end, and the same person would wake me up every time and promise me the same things. It was only until he told me it'd never happen that the dream sort of faded away. Happily we both were able to keep our promises to each other… and those lilies were never needed.


End file.
